School Resource Officers May Not Return to Norwich

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The Norwich City School District is trying to figure out how they're going to pay to bring its resource officers back.

"They're a good presence to have," Abby Dolliver, the superintendent of schools, said.

There is one SRO for each of the two middle schools in the district but they may not return if the school board can't come up with the money.

Dolliver said there was was room in the budget for SRO's but then other expenses came in and cuts happened.

"All of a sudden you have to prioritize what are we going to spend the money we have on," Dolliver said.

The resource officers have been valuable not only for security purposes but to help students feel more comfortable around law enforcement.

The board of education is asking the city to help pay for the officers. Norwich Police Chief Louis Fusaro has pledged to pay the benefits of one of the SRO's but that will only cover some of the cost.

Since the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary district leaders have added panic buttons in the schools. Kelly Middle School also has more than 50 security cameras throughout the building.

What's being done in Norwich is being discussed at the state level. School security was the topic of conversation on Thursday night in New Britain.

In the wake of Sandy Hook the state legislature created the School Safety Infrastructure Council to come up with ways to enhance security at schools as districts statewide continue to try and balance that security with cost.

The school board in Norwich will meet again on August 27 to discuss the issue of school resource officers.